spirit to them as God's children, enjoys with them the communion of saints, joys and converses with them as brethren of the same family. Nor need we wonder at this; for the beloved disciple says, 66 we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (1 John iii. 14). And again, "every one that loveth God that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him" (v. 1). This spiritual love of the brethren, is that "family affection of Christianity," that spiritual tie, which unites the people of God to each other, as members of one family; it is a bond of affection and union superior to and stronger than every other, and more durable; it is formed of the elements of eternity, it survives all the accidents of time, it cannot be dissolved by the stroke of death, it will exist for ever.

Happy they who belong to the family of God! They are the objects of the special love and care of the Triune Jehovah. All their chastisements and trials in this life are designed for their good. The chastising rod is in the hand of a Father who loves them, and is, as one observes, but as the pencil by which he draws his own image in the Christian's soul. All the previous promises of the word, and all the privileges of the gospel, belong to the family of God. "All things work together for their good." "If children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ Jesus" (Rom. viii. 17). Who can compare prospects and expectations with the meanest and poorest member of this family? The child of God may be poor, despised, and neglected among men, as Lazarus at the rich man's gate, but he is rich in spiritual blessings now, and rich in glorious hopes; "now is he a son of God, and it does not appear what he shall be: but when Christ who is his life shall appear, then shall he appear with him in glory." He is "begotten again to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven" (1 Pet. i. 3, 4). Are you, my readers, members of this blessed family? Are such your glorious expectations? "What manner of persons ought ye to be, in all holy conversation and godliness?" All this should give to your feelings, views, and conduct, a corresponding dignity and elevation. How inconsistent with the dignity and expectations of children of God to walk as others do, to conform to the world, and set your affections on earthly things! How constantly should you pray and endeavour to exhibit that holiness and elevation of character, of feeling, and pursuit, which are the true characteristics of God's children! How anxious should you be to exhibit in prosperity and adversity, under all the circumstances, and

in all the relations of life, that Christian deportment, which will constrain all to acknowledge you as children of God!

But we proceed to notice, secondly, the circumstances of that part of this blessed family which is in heaven. The apostle represents the great body of the redeemed as a family, a part of which is on earth, and a part in heaven. How interesting is this view! We said before, that all the members of this family were united in spirit to each other, by spiritual and indissoluble ties; and does not this representation justify that observation? Does he not clearly state, that the glorified redeemed from earth now before the throne in heaven, and the redeemed now on earth, still constitute but one family? the connection between them is still unbroken. Those in heaven are in the situation of children who have reached their Father's house; those on earth are in the situation of children not yet arrived at home, but on their way thither. Still, they who are happy and safe at home, and they who are passing through tribulation on their way thither, are but one family. What a soothing and cheering consideration is this to those bereaved of pious friends! Go not, like Martha and Mary, to the grave to weep; they are not there, but with that part of the family of God above, holy, happy, and safe. You miss them from your little circle; but, though they are gone out of the world, they have not gone out of the family. They are at home, you are yet in the wilderness; the stream of death alone separates; that stream once passed, and they will welcome you on the shores of immortality, and you like them also shall be happy for ever, and with them, in your Father's house above.

Though the attempt were vain to give an adequate idea of the glory and happiness of that part of the family of God in heaven, yet let us endeavour, by the aid of God's holy word, to contemplate it. Those happy and glorified spirits are now far removed from a world of sin and sorrow, which was to them a scene of much sorrow and tribulation, and are now in that "better country," where the curse, and sin, and sorrow, are unknown. They are now pure, disembodied spirits; they have left behind them those frail and sinful bodies, which were often felt to be a clog, a weariness, and a pollution to their souls. They are no longer subject to ignorance and mistake; to them all mysteries in the word of God, and all the mysteries of Providence and grace, are now fully and satisfactorily revealed; they see as they are seen, and know as they are known; not now as through a glass darkly, but face to face. They enjoy the communion of saints, unimpaired by

marred it on earth; no difference of opinion, no sectional peculiarities, now operate as barriers to communion. In the heavenly temple they are happily united with many who were their fellow-worshippers on earth, and with many from whom they were here separate in worship; in that celestial temple they now serve God and the Lamb, as they desired, without weariness, without imperfection, without interruption. They are now beyond the reach of temptation to evil-they no longer struggle with the corruptions of a sinful heart-they are no longer oppressed with uncertainty, or doubt, or fear, as to that spiritual state-they now enjoy perfect holiness-they are now with the Saviour whom they loved; they behold his unrevealed glories, as heirs in possession-they enjoy God, and are the rejoicing joint-heirs with Christ in the glories of eternity. And as they still continue members of that blessed family of God, a part of which is yet on earth, we may infer from this, that they feel a lively interest in that part of the family still below; their sympathies and recollections are not annihilated to them, doubtless, unknown to us, various channels of information as to the family on earth are opened; they joy when fresh members return to it by repentance; they welcome home to glory the members of it as they arrive from earth; they watch and rejoice in the spread and triumphs of the gospel in our world, as by this means God's elect are gathered in, and from time to time large accessions are made to this family, and look forward with glorious and assured hope to that happy day when the family shall be complete-when the last heavenborn member shall be added to it, when the whole family shall be in heaven; when as his ransomed and sanctified church, Christ shall " see in it the travail of his soul, and be satisfied," and shall 66 present it to his Father, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing." Then the mystery of God will be finished-then the whole family will be in heaven, a happy, united, glorious family for ever!

This subject should lead us all to examine our own hearts and lives, to ascertain whether we belong to the family of God. On hearing of the present blessings and the future glories of this family, who is not led to offer up the prayer-" Make O Lord, to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting!" Vain is the hope of forming a part of the glorious family above, if we do not belong to the family of God below. Have we experienced that piritual regeneration of soul by the Holy

us,

this happy family? Let us also bear in mind that a holy "meetness" is necessary to prepare us to join the glorified above; for without holiness no man shall see the Lord," or be admitted to the society of "an innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of the just made perfect" in the heavenly state. If we properly considered this, it would demonstrate to us the folly of the hope cherished by some, that though they live in sin and vanity here, they shall be united with the holy and blessed hereafter; it would lead us to search and try our hearts and our ways; it would lead us to 'earnest prayer to God to regenerate our souls by his Holy Spirit, and to advance us from day to day in that holiness of heart and life which alone can prove us the children of God in this life, and make us "meet for the inheritance of the saints in light;" it would guard us against spiritual sloth, and excite us to holy diligence as " followers of them who through faith and patience are now inheriting the promises."

This subject powerfully addresses itself to those who are parents, and whom the providence of God has placed at the head of a family; how anxious should such feel, that those who are so closely connected with them by the ties of nature, should be made partakers with them of the grace of God; that thus walking as a family, or as heirs together of the grace of life in this world, they may hereafter together be heirs in possession. Every Christian parent must not be anxious only for his own salvation, but also for the salvation of the children which God has given him. He is concerned that "the whole family" may be in heaven: he cannot endure the thought of resigning one of his family at death for ever, or of missing one at the right-hand of God, or in the assembly of the glorified in heaven. How diligently, then, by example, and precept, and prayer, should Christian parents labour for the salvation of their families, that "the whole family" may be in heaven! And what a source of consolation will this be to such, under those bereavements which agonize their hearts, to consider though "Joseph is not, and Simeon is not," and beloved Benjamin is taken also; that they are not lost, but only gone before them to heaven; and that, in God's good time, "the whole family" will meet there, where the pang of sorrow and separation is unknown, and where "there is no more death." Happy parent, who, in the last great day, shall have with joy to present his "whole family" before "the Judge of all," and say-" Behold, here am I, and the children whom thou hast given me!"

Alas! of how few families can we indulge this glorious hope-that the whole family will be in heaven! How few families do we behold, all the members of which are on the Lord's side! One appears decided for God in the family; the rest are the servants of sin and the world. Are there not among my readers the careless and unconverted members of religious families? The pious parents and relatives of some of you now form a part of the glorified family of God above. While they were alive on the earth, you were witnesses of their faith and holiness; you they often counselled to forsake sin, to turn away from the vanities of the world, and give up yourselves to the service of your God and Saviour; often-though you knew it notthey prayed for your conversion in private; they joyed when they took you with them to the house of God, and saw you scated by their side. They are gone to join the family above. Are you following them? Death has made a separation between you and them; can you endure that that separation should be for ever? Can you endure the idea of seeing them happy and glorious at the right hand of the Judge at the last day; while you, separated far from them, shall stand miserable, rejected, and condemned, on the left! My brethren, let us all seek the grace of God in earnestness and in truth; let us seek now to belong to the family of God, and then shall we be "numbered with them in glory everlasting."

FANNY CLARE.

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”—John, iii. 7. "I WISH you would walk to C-to-morrow, to visit Fanny Clare," said Mr. H., at whose house I spent the summer of 18-: "she cannot live much longer." The afternoon of the next day I wound my way, through some very fine scenery, towards the hamlet in which lived the object of my walk. The first part of my road lay through long shady lanes, the hedges of which, richly adorned with woodbines, eglantines, and other wild flowers, were here and there (it would seem, intentionally) broken, to afford to the passing traveller a view of the great expanse of ocean, which rolled at the foot of the cliffs over which the road extended. After quitting the lanes, I began to ascend one of the highest points of rock which is to be seen on the Devon coast: it rises majestically from amid the waves of the sea, which continually (though without power to weaken its firm foundation) beat around its base. The white chalky sides are covered in many parts with creepers, whose varied hues form a lovely contrast to the barren heights which they adorn. This cliff appears to me an apt emblem of that one Rock on which the believer builds all his hopes for time and eternity; for there it stands, has stood, and so long as the earth remains, it seems, shall stand, unchangeably the same. I soon reached the summit of the rock, where I paused to rest, and contemplate the scene before me: my eyes wandered over thirty miles' distance of ocean, on the smooth

bosom of which were to be seen many vessels, of different dimensions, some at anchor, others majestically ploughing the waves towards their destined ports: one, from the lightness of its structure, and the rapidity with which it glided onwards, particularly attracted my attention. Beautiful vessel! I thought; your white sails fanned with heaven's soft, vigorous who can tell how speedily yon bright sky will be overbreeze, how full of hope is your present course! but cast with dark clouds, and the tempest rage rudely around? Could my voice be heard, I would urge those

whose lots are cast in yon frail bark to seek for their pilot Him who stilleth the raging of the seas, who to the wildest tempest saith, "Peace, be still." And you, too, Christian mariner, just embarked on life's eventful ocean, seek to be guided by him continually; then, whatever storms arise, how securely you may rest, knowing that your Father is at the helm! But I must no longer linger; time will not tarry for me, and I shall not, if I do not hasten onwards, reach my destined point ere the shadows of evening close around me.

I now began to descend the side of the cliff, and saw the white cottages of the village. "Do you know where Fanny Clare lives?" I said to a little girl, who was sitting at the door of one of the cottages, with her lace-pillow on her lap, over which the bobbins were thrown with a rapidity which makes the eye of the observer to dazzle. "I'll shew you where her lives," was the answer; "but hers in the 'cline, and the doctor says her can't live." She took me up a narrow lane, at the end of which I saw a small cottage, which I soon entered, and was presently welcomed by a kind, but sorrowful smile, from a neat, elderly woman. "You are, ma'am, the lady Mr. H. said he would send to my poor child, I suppose?" "Yes," I replied, "1 should like to see her." "She is coming down di"for the last rectly; I fear," she added with a sigh, said, "the sight of a stranger may agitate her: I will time. Do pray sit down, ma'am." "Perhaps," I go away for a short time, and then return when she is settled." "O no," she was about to answer, when the sound of a feeble voice calling "Mother," summoned her to assist the poor invalid in descending the staircase. I had time, while alone, to look around me, and observe the many innocent decorations of the room in which I sat every thing bespoke industry and neatness, that lovely ornament of the female characterwhich, in whatever rank it be found, sheds around that charm which the apostle urged, when he said, "Let all things be done in order." I now remember the festoons, formed with shells strung together, which hung over the dresser, on which some pewter-plates were ranged, shining so brightly, that I could see my own face reflected in them: the piece of coral, and curious star-fish, which decorated the mantelpiece,all these are as clearly presented to my mind's eye, as if it were only yesterday I had looked on them. How wonderful the power of memory over our minds, and the connexion of events caused by it! As I write these things, simple as they are in themselves, I seem, by the recollection of them, as they then struck my inquiring gaze, to step back years of my life for ever gone by; the remembrance of scenes and experiences connected with them crowds tumultuously on my mind. It seems, for a moment, that I am again in that little cottage, far from my family, in the very situation I then filled, instead of being in my father's house, enjoying the sunshine of his smile.

Recollection! what a word!
"Tis surely sent from heaven:
Often it wakeus joyous light,
Then by it sorrow's given.

Recollection! 'tis by thee

We look on lov'd ones gone: 'Twould seem they almost speak to us Of joys for ever flown.